Brooke's Super Spicy Accidental Chili

Actually, when the weather turns cold in South Louisiana, we call it "Gumbo Weather." But I didn't make gumbo. Brooke made chili yesterday and we finished it off today.

My chili recipe is an old one I found from a magazine and it was called White House Chili. The notes said this was the recipe that Lyndon Johnson requested most often during his term as president. I'll give the real recipe, then make notes about Brooke's "special additions" and how we dealt with that at the end.

White House Chili

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

Tabasco sauce to taste

2 16-oz cans diced tomatoes

2 16-oz cans red kidney beans

Brown meat and drain off grease. In oil, saute onion and garlic. Add remaining ingredients. You can cook this in a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours or just cook it on the stove top in a covered Dutch oven on low for an hour. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Now, I was painting and left my recipe for Brooke, telling her to call me if she had any questions. When I came home, she asked me to taste it, cautioning that it was "a little spicy." For those who DON'T live in Louisiana, just know that if a native Louisianian says something is "a little spicy," you might want a glass of water - or two - close at hand. *I* lost my breath, it was so spicy. I asked what she did and she said she accidentally pulled out the chipotle chili powder and added that. When she realized what she had done, she found the REGULAR chili powder and added three more tablespoons! Zowie! So I added another can of tomatoes, a can of black beans, and a can of pinto beans (because that's all we had in the cupboard) and that toned it down and it was delicious!

Today we had just enough chili left to make Frito Chili Pies for supper. These always remind me of high school football games! In case you've never had one, you start with Fritos (the small ones are better than the wider "scoops," but I couldn't find the little ones in a big bag), top with piping hot chili, sprinkle liberally with shredded cheese, and if you'd like, add a dollop of sour cream.

Yum! I was very sad when the last of the chili was gone.